Renowned as one of the nation's most important early examples of skeletal-frame commercial architecture, this building is discussed in every major history of American architecture. A National Historic Landmark, it was designed by William Le Baron Jenney, the so-called father of the skyscraper'. Jenney is also considered the founder of the Chicago School of architecture. The Leiter Building II was erected by Levi Leiter; later, it was leased by Sears, Roebuck & Co. for its flagship department store. It is the city's oldest surviving department store, a type of building that contributed to State Street's development as a retailing thoroughfare.' Source: www.ci.chi.il.us/Landmarks/L/LeiterIIBuilding.html / 'Jenney allowed the steel skeleton, only recently introduced at that time, to determine the outward characteristics of the building - its division into enormous square sections, each filled with many large windows.' Chicago on Foot, Ira J. Bach, & Susan Wolfson, p. 41